Combination doll and marionette

ABSTRACT

A stuffed security type doll having interchangable head portions to change the features of the doll, the doll adaptable for use as a marionette as it is provided with a pair of cords passing through the body commencing at the head thereof and secured to the feet portions of the doll and which have clips at the top projecting cord ends thereof adapted to be attached to cords projecting from a handle to manipulate the doll in marionette form, such handle also provided with locations for attaching at a future date further cords adapted to be attached to clips provided on the doll&#39;&#39;s hands and head for further control of the doll as a marionette such that the doll may progress into a more and more complicated marionette as the manipulation of the simplified marionette is mastered by an individual, this progression being controlled by the individual depending on the number of cords attached to the doll for manipulation of features of the doll.

I [76] Inventor:

United States Patent 1191 Palmer COMBINATION DOLL AND MARIONETTE Richard F. Palmer, 9127 Stevenson Dr., Chicago, 111. 60016 [22] Filed: Feb. 13, 1974 [21] Appl. No.: 430,599

Primary ExaminerRobert Peshock Assistant Examiner-J. Q. Lever 1 Aug. 12, 1975 l 5 7] ABSTRACT A stuffed security type doll having intcrchangable head portions to change the features of the doll, the doll adaptable for use as a marionette as it is provided with a pair of cords passing through the body commencing at the head thereof and secured to the feet portions of the doll and which have clips at the top projecting cord ends thereof adapted to be attached to cords projecting from a handle to manipulate the doll in marionette form, such handle also provided with 10- cations for attaching at a future date further cords adapted to be attached to clips provided on the dolls hands and head for further control of the doll as a marionette such that the doll may progress into a more and more complicated marionette as the manipulation of the simplified marionette is mastered by an individual, this progression being controlled by the individual depending on the number of cords attached to the doll for manipulation of features of the doll 4 Claims, 10 Drawing Figures COMBINATION DOLL AND MARIONETTE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates generally to marionettes and dolls and more particularly to a novel combination doll and marionette wherein the doll may be converted to a marionette in progressive stages for use as a marionette, and may be rapidly converted back for use as a stuffed security type doll by merely detaching the cord from the doll, and wherein the head of the doll is interchangable with other heads to change the features of the doll.

2. Description of the Prior Art The present invention is an improvement over my US. Pat. No. 3,707,803 dated Jan. 2, 1973 and entitled SIMPLIFIED MARIONETTE wherein a simplified marionette is shown which is operated by only three cords such that it may be readily manipulated by a child having a moderate amount of dexterity and without the necessity of having had hours of practice at operating and manipulating the marionette.

It has been known in the prior art to provide stuffed security type dolls of one type or another for children, such dolls soon becoming favorites of the child so that they wish to take the doll almost every place with them. This doll is frequently subjected to many play situations of the child in the acting out and participating in childhood fantasies, with such dolls being limited as to their abilities within which a child must restrict themselves in such imaginative fantasies.

In order to broaden the scope of a childs amusement and play capabilities, there have been provided in the prior art marionettes of the type having a multiplicity of cords for operating various features of the marionette, such as the legs, arms, head and the like so that the child can learn to manipulate the marionette in a life like manner. However, this still does not solve the problem of the childs favorite stuffed security doll so that while the child may play with the marionette briefly, the child normally soon discards the marionette in favor of the security doll even though the security doll is of less flexibility than the marionette.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention recognizes the need for a child to enjoy and have a security doll of the stuffed doll type, and recognizing the limitations of such presently available dolls, provides a novel solution thereto in the form of a stuffed doll having cords and clips associated therewith for later use by a child in attaching thereto cords from a marionette type manipulating handle such that the stuffed doll is readily converted to a marionette for various play situations of the child, the child being able to use the doll as a simplified marionette by only attaching a few cords thereto, or to use the doll as a more complex marionette by attaching further cords thereto in order to control further features of the marionette. In this manner a child is able to increase the play scope of the favored security doll and yet, when completed with using the doll as a marionette, may rapidly and easily disconnect the manipulating cords from their points of attachment to the doll so as to return the doll to a normal stuffed doll for other play situations.

It is a feature of the present invention to provide a doll of the stuffed security type which is readily converted between a regular doll and a marionette doll by a child for various play and fantasy situations.

A further feature of the present invention provides a doll convertable into a simplified marionette easily manipulated by a child and adapted to be made progressively into a more complex and more manipulatable marionette as the skill of the childprogresses as to the manipulation of the marionette.

Still a further feature of the present invention provides a combination doll and marionette wherein the head is interchangable with other heads for changing the features of the doll.

Yet still a further feature of the present invention provides a combination doll and marionette which is readily converted for use as a doll or as a marionette simply and easily by a child in a rapid manner so as to encourage such interchangeability by the child to enhance the play capabilities of the doll.

The provision of a combination doll and marionette, such as briefly outlned above, and possessing the stated advantages and features, constitutes the principal advantages and features of the present invention. The provision of a combination doll and marionette which is relatively simple in its construction and which therefore may be readily manufactured at a relatively low cost and by simple manufacturing methods; one which is possessed of few parts and which therefore is unlikely to get out of order; one which is rugged and durable and which therefore may be guaranteed by the manufacturer to withstand many years of normal childhood play in the intended manner; one which is easy to use and reliable and efficient in operation; one which is aesthetically pleasing and refined in appearance; one which may be provided in numerous sizes and configurations; and one which, otherwise, is well adapted to perform the services required of it, are further desirable features which have been borne in mind in the production and development of the present invention.

Other features and advantages of this invention will be apparent during the course of the following description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and in which like reference characters are employed to designate like parts throughout the same:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the combination doll and marionette in use as a marionette;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the marionette in the sitting position;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the block for forming the shoulder area of the doll and having a neck portion on which the doll head is interchangably mounted;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary front elevational view of a hand of the doll showing the clip and detachable fastener spaced therefrom in position to be attached thereto;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the manipulating handle for the marionette;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged exploded fragmentary perspective view of the block and head portion of the doll;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary perspective view similar to FIG. 6 and showing a different head portion mounted on the block;

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along Line 8-8 of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged fragmentary front elevational view of a leg portion of the doll; and

FIG. 10 is an enlarged side elevational view of the leg portion of the doll of FIG. 9.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings in detail there is disclosed a preferred form of a combination doll and marionette constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention and designated generally in its entirety by the reference numeral and is comprised of a marionette manipulating handle 1 l, a plurality of manipulating cords 12 each having a clip type fastener 13 secured to a projecting end thereof and adapted to be clipped to rings or loops 14 fastened on features of the doll 15 which is of the stuffed security doll type provided with a head 16 and a stuffed body portion having a torso, arms, legs, hands, feet and the like. The body portion of the doll is manufactured of layers of flexible cloth material of a suitable design and decoration fixed together in a manner to receive a suitable stuffing material therebetween.

For example, as seen in FIGS. 1, 2, 9 and 10 the doll is provided with a dress 21 with a slip 22 therebeneath with the leg portions provided with socks 23 and the foot portions provided with shoes 24, the shoes having at the bottom thereof rigid pieces of wood, plastic or the like 25 simulating soles of the shoes, each of which has affixed to an interior surface thereof a post 26 projecting upwardly therefrom into the shoe and leg area of the doll for purposes as will be later described.

The doll is provided shoulder areas 31, a torso area 32, flexible arms 33 extending outwardly from the shoulder area and terminating in hands 34, and a pair of flexible legs 35 depending downwardly from the torso and terminating in the aforementioned shoes 24. Within the shoulder area 31 of the torso 32 there is disposed a block of a substantially rectangular box-like shape having a front surface 41, a back surface 42, opposed side surfaces 43 and 44, and opposed top and bottom surfaces 45 and 46, the block being fastened in the torso area with the top surface 45 affixed beneath the shoulder areas 31. The block 40 may be of a hollow or solid material such as manufactured out of metal, wood, hard rubber, plastic, or any other suitable satisfactory material, with the preferred embodiment being of a solid plastic material and provided with a pair of spaced apart vertically extending bores 47 passing through the block from the top surface 45 to the bottom surface 46, such bores positioned to be aligned with suitable apertures provided in the shoulder areas 31 of the doll. Further, the top surface 45 is provided centrally thereof with a cylindrically shaped boss member 48 having side walls 49 and a top surface 50 and which projects axially from the top surface 45 to define a neck portion for the doll for use in conjunction with interchangable head portions 16 as will be later described, the boss 48 being disposed centrally of shoulder areas 31 and projecting upwardly therefrom.

The head portion 16 may be of the stufi'ed or hollow variety with only requirement being that the bottom neck portion of such head portion have a hollow inwardly directed cylindrical recess for engaging boss 48 therein, this being generally as seen in FIG. 6 with the neck portion 51 of the head portion 52 adapted to fit over the boss 48 with the boss side walls 49 engaging the interior side walls of the head portion recess in a snug manner to retain the head frictionally in place thereon.

The head portion 16 is provided with a loop or ring type fastener 54 at the top thereof adapted to be engaged by a clip 13 when the doll is used as a marionette, with there being provided on both sides of loop 54 in the head portions bores 55 extending therethrough to terminate in a position adjacent one of an associated one of the bores 47 in the block 40 within the doll. A cord 61 has one end fastened to post 26 of the left foot of the marionette and extends upwardly therefrom through the left foot, through the left leg 35, through the left side of the torso 32, through the bore 27 located on the left side of the block 40, through the ass0- ciated hole in the shoulder area 31 on the left side of the doll, and through the left bore 55 in the head portion to terminate in a ring like member 63 spaced outwardly of the top portion of the head. Similarly, a cord 62 has one end affixed to the post 26 inside of the right shoe 24 and extends upwardly therefrom through the right leg 35, through the right side of the torso 32, through the bore 47 on the right side of the block 40, through the opening in the right shoulder area 31, and through the bore 55 in the right side of the head portion to terminate above the head portion in a loop or ring type fastener 64. It is thus seen that operation of cords 61 and 62 effects the manipulation of the left and right legs respectively of the doll.

There are provided on each of the hands 34 a ring or loop 65 permanently affixed thereto, such being either of the solid configuration or made of an elastic type of material with each adapted to have a clip 13 detachably affixed thereto as will be later described.

The interchangability of the head portions 16 are I clearly shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 wherein head portion 52 is of a smiling clowns face and head portion 52 is of a crying clown face, each of the head portions being interchangable by the fitting of the neck portions 51 and 51 respectively onto boss 48 of the block 40.

The clips 13 are of the self-closing type having an elongated body member terminating at one end in an eyelet 71 adapted to be attached to one of the cords 12 and terminating in the opposite end in a hook member 72 having the opening thereof closed by a resilient flexible member 73 affixed by a rivet or the like 74 to the body member and projecting over the hook opening in a manner permitting an individual to flex closure member 73 away from the opening to engage the hook 72 with a ring or loop fastener of the doll, such as shown by loop 65, after which the closure member returns to its closed position to retain the clip detachably detached to said fastener in marionette form and being readily detached therefrom in the same manner to return the doll to use as a conventional stuffed security type doll.

The marionette manipulating handle 11 is of a substantially flat elongated rectangular configuration having a body member with a top edge 81 and a bottom edge 82, the top edge 81 provided with a series of notches 83 therealong with the bottom edge 82 provided with a series of spaced notches 84 therealong and which are aligned with respective ones of the notches 83. To use the handle 11 one end of a cord 12 is fastened to the handle by being wrapped about a pair of aligned notches 83 and 84 and then tied thereabout, with the opposite end of the cords extending downwardly therefrom and terminating,in aclip lfi for use with one of the ring or loop fasteners on the doll. It is to be understood that the overall length of each cord 12 may be ireadily adjustedj by merely wrapping the same about the body 80 of theharidle 11 until the desired'slack has been rernovedfroin'the cord with the cord of the desired length.

In operation as a conventional stuffed security doll, all clips 13 are detached from the doll such that the doll has the appearance and feel of a conventional stuffed doll for play with by the child. To increase the usefulness of the doll, a child may then affix one or more of the clips 13 to the rings or loops 54, 63, 64 and/or 65 for manipulation of various features of the doll. Further, in this manner, by selecting the number of cords to be affixed to the doll the child may begin initially to operate the doll as a simple marionette and then add further cords to manipulate additional features of the doll as the skill of the child increases with practice such that soon a fully operable marionette is available for the enjoyment of the child.

It is to be understood that the form of this invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that this invention is not to be limited to the exact arrangement of parts shown in the accompanying drawings or described in this specification as various changes in the details of construction as to shape, size, and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention, the scope of the novel concepts thereof, or the scope of the sub-joined claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed 1. A combination stuffed security type doll and marionette including a pair of shoulder areas, a pair of arms extending outwardly from the shoulder areas and terminating in hand portions, a torso depending downwardly from the shoulder area and a pair of legs depending downwardly from the torso region and terminating in a pair of feet, the doll comprising:

A head portion adapted to fit on the doll in position disposed immediately above said shoulder portions;

Means disposed in said torso beneath said shoulder portions and adapted to detachably engage said head portion for detachably retaining said head portion thereon;

A pair of separate chords axially moveable in a free manner and extending vertically through said torso and each having one end afixed to a respective one of said doll foot portions with the opposite end projecting through said torso and terminating in an end disposed outwardly of said torso;

Means afixed to said terminal end of each said chord adapted to be detachably attached to a manipulating chord for the operation of said associated chord extending through said doll torso;

Means affixed to said head portion at the top end thereof and adapted to be detachably attached to a manipulating chord, said means affixed to said top of said head portion and said means aflixed to hand portion comprising a ring member affixed thereto adapted to be detachably attached to said manipulating chord to convert said doll to a marionette;

Means affixed to each of said hand portions and adapted to be detachably attached to associated ones of said manipulating chords;

A marionette manipulating handle member;

A plurality of manipulating chords each having one end affixed to said manipulating handle and the opposite ends thereof projecting outwardly therefrom and adapted to be attached to said associated means on said doll members for manipulation thereof, said means affixed within the torso comprising a rectangular box-like member having a front surface, a back surface, opposed side surfaces, and opposed top and bottom surfaces, a pair of horizontally spaced apart vertically extending bores extending through said block member between said top and bottom surfaces thereof with each bore adapted to receive one of said operating chords freely therethrough, and a boss member disposed centrally of said top surface and projecting outwardly therefrom and adapted to receive said head portion detachably thereon, and wherein said head portion includes a recess in the next portion thereof of a size and configuration adapted to be snugly received on said boss member for detachably attaching said head portion thereto; and

The projecting terminal ends of each of said manipulating chords having means affixed thereto adapted to be detachably attached to said means associated with said doll whereby said doll may be used as a normal regular doll and also may be readily converted for use as a marionette by attaching said manipulating chords thereto, said doll being characterized further wherein said means afixed to said head top portion and said hand portions are comprised of elastic loops afixed thereto and adapted to be detachably attached to said manipulating chords to convert the doll to a marionette said doll being further characterized wherein said means affixed to said terminal ends of each of said manipulating chords comprises an elongated rigid body member having a closed eyelet defined at one end thereof with the opposite end defining a hook member adapted to engage said means on said doll body members and said pair of chords in said doll.

2. The combination doll and marionette as set forth in claim 1 wherein said head portion is provided with a pair of horizontally spaced apart bores extending substantially vertically therethrough on each side thereof; one of said pair of cords extending through said torso comprising a cord length having one end affixed to a left foot of said doll with the opposite end extending upwardly therefrom through said doll left leg, through the left side of the torso, through the left bore of the block member, through the left bore of the head portion and extending outwardly from the head portion to terminate in said ring means; and wherein said second one of said pair of cords is freely disposed in said doll for free vertical movement therethrough and has one end afiixed to the right foot of said doll with the opposite end extending upwardly through the right leg thereof, through the right side of the torso, through the right bore of the block member, and through the right bore of the head portion to terminate in said ring means disposed outwardly of the top of the head portion.

3. The combination doll and marionette as set forth in claim 2 wherein said boss member of said block member is formed integrally therewith and is of an prised of a substantially flat rectangularly shaped elongated body member having a top edge and a bottom edge, a plurality of notches defined in spaced apart locations along said top edge, and a like number of notches defined in said bottom edge in substantial alignment with said associated notches of said top edge whereby said one end of each of said manipulating cords may be tied about said manipulating handle intermediate any pair of aligned notches. 

1. A combination stuffed security type doll and marionette including a pair of shoulder areas, a pair of arms extending outwardly from the shoulder areas and terminating in hand portions, a torso depending downwardly from the shoulder area and a pair of legs depending downwardly from the torso region and terminating in a pair of feet, the doll comprising: A head portion adapted to fit on the doll in position disposed immediately above said shoulder portions; Means disposed in said torso beneath said shoulder portions and adapted to detachably engage said head portion for detachably retaining said head portion thereon; A pair of separate chords axially moveable in a free manner and extending vertically through said torso and each having one end afixed to a respective one of said doll foot portions with the opposite end projecting through said torso and terminating in an end disposed outwardly of said torso; Means afixed to said terminal end of each said chord adapted to be detachably attached to a manipulating chord for the operation of said associated chord extending through said doll torso; Means affixed to said head portion at the top end thereof and adapted to be detachably attached to a manipulating chord, said means affixed to said top of said head portion and said means affixed to hand portion comprising a ring member affixed thereto adapted to be detachably attached to said manipulating chord to convert said doll to a marionette; Means affixed to each of said hand portions and adapted to be detachably attached to associated ones of said manipulating chords; A marionette manipulating handle member; A plurality of manipulating chords each having one end affixed to said manipulating handle and the opposite ends thereof projecting outwardly therefrom and adapted to be attached to said associated means on said doll members for manipulation thereof, said means affixed within the torso comprising a rectangular box-like member having a front surface, a back surface, opposed side surfaces, and opposed top and bottom surfaces, a pair of horizontally spaced apart vertically extending bores extending through said block member between said top and bottom surfaces thereof with each bore adapted to receive one of said operating chords freely therethrough, and a boss member disposed centrally of said top surface and projecting outwardly therefrom and adapted to receive said head portion detachably thereon, and wherein said head portion includes a recess in the next portion thereof of a size and configuration adapted to be snugly received on said boss member for detachably attaching said head portion thereto; and The projecting terminal ends of each of said manipulating chords having means affixed thereto adapted to be detachably attached to said means associated with said doll whereby said doll may be used as a normal regular doll and also may be readily converted for use as a marionette by attaching said manipulating chords thereto, said doll being characterized further wherein said means afixed to said head top portion and said hand portions are comprised of elastic loops afixed thereto and adapted to be detachably attached to said manipulating chords to convert the doll to a marionette said doll being further characterized wherein said means affixed to said terminal ends of each of said manipulating chords comprises an elongated rigid body member having a closed eyelet defined at one end thereof with the opposite end defining a hook member adapted to engage said means on said doll body members and said pair of chords in said doll.
 2. The combination doll and marionette as set forth in claim 1 wherein said head portion is provided with a pair of horizontally spaced apart bores extending substantially vertically therethrough on each side thereof; one of said pair of cords extending through said torso comprising a cord length having one end affixed to a left foot of said doll with the opposite end extending upwardly therefrom through said doll left leg, through the left side of the torso, through the left bore of the block member, through the left bore of the head portion and extending outwardly from the head portion to terminate in said ring means; and wherein said second one of said pair of cords is freely disposed in said doll for free vertical movement therethrough and has one end affixed to the right foot of said doll with the opposite end extending upwardly through the right leg thereof, through the right side of the torso, through the right bore of the block member, and through the right bore of the head portion to terminate in said ring means disposed outwardly of the top of the head portion.
 3. The combination doll and marionette as set forth in claim 2 wherein said boss member of said block member is formed integrally therewith and is of an elongated cylindrical shape having cylindrical side walls, and wherein said recess in the neck portion of said head portion is of a cylindrical shape of a depth substantially equal to the height of the boss member projection above the block member top surface with said recess being of a diameter slightly greater than the diameter of said boss member so as to snugly receive said boss member therein in a manner to detachably attach said head portion thereto.
 4. The combination doll and marionette as set forth in claim 3 wherein said manipulating handle is comprised of a substantially flat rectangularly shaped elongated body member having a top edge and a bottom edge, a plurality of notches defined in spaced apart locations along said top edge, and a like number of notches defined in said bottom edge in substantial alignment with said associated notches of said top edge whereby said one end of each of said manipulating cords may be tied about said manipulating handle intermediate any pair of aligned notches. 